Space Stories: Renaming Wallops, Powering Voyager 2, and Catching the Solar Eclipse

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): A rocket departing the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. (NASA)

Here are some recent space-related stories of interest.

—WBOC News: “Push to Rename NASA Wallops Facility Sparks Debate Over Eastern Shore History“

A request to honor one of the Eastern Shore’s most accomplished aerospace leaders is facing growing opposition from people who say changing the Wallops name could erase an important piece of local history. The Accomack County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution July 15 asking NASA to rename the Wallops Flight Facility in honor of A. Thomas Young, a Wachapreague native who built a decades-long career in the nation’s space program and aerospace industry.

—NASA: “NASA Engineers Help Prolong Voyager 2’s Science Mission“

Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have successfully freed up power on Voyager 2, extending how long the spacecraft can continue to do science. Nicknamed the “Big Bang,” the effort involved simultaneously turning off certain powered devices and substituting them with lower-power alternatives while ensuring the spacecraft remains warm enough to operate.

—Sky & Telescope: “Where to See the August 12th Solar Eclipse Online“

On August 12, 2026, millions will witness a total solar eclipse that crosses the north Atlantic and parts of Europe. The path of totality passes over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a corner of Portugal. Other parts of Europe and North America will see a partial solar eclipse. If you are in the path of totality or if you will be able to see the partial eclipse, head outside to see it for yourself! (Make sure you bring a good pair of eclipse glasses to protect your eyes.) But if you’re not in the path, or if clouds obscure your view, there are plenty of options for viewing this celestial spectacle online. What’s more, each broadcast listed here has its own roster of experts speaking about different aspects of the eclipse and the science around it.

Note: Here is the podcast version of this post.

Space Stories: A New Wind Tunnel, Names in Deep Space, and the First Exomoon Detected

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): On July 31, 2026, NASA officials and others pose for a photo before cutting the ribbon to open the Flight Dynamics Research Facility at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. (NASA/Keegan Barber)

Here are some recent space-related stories of interest.

—WTOP News: “NASA Opens its First Wind Tunnel in 40 Years at Langley Research Center“

Friday was a historic day for NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. A stellar lineup of VIPs from NASA, GSA, Congress, Virginia and Langley employees celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony for NASA’s newest and most advanced wind tunnel: the Flight Dynamics Research Facility. The $53 million, 25,000-square-foot FDRF, built by BL Harbert International, is the first wind tunnel added to NASA’s wind tunnel assets in 40 years. The project was started in June 2022, with construction completed in March 2026.

—NASA: “NASA’s Roman Telescope to Carry 1.35 Million Names to Deep Space“

On July 27, technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida installed a memory card containing 1,350,144 names as part of a commemorative plaque on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The names were submitted by people globally, including astronauts from Artemis II and Artemis III. The memory card will travel with the Roman observatory to the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2, or L2, about one million miles from Earth, where the Sun’s and Earth’s gravity balance out.

—Wired: “Astronomers Have Detected an Exomoon for the First Time“

An international research team has discovered evidence of a moonlike body. It marks the first time such an object has been detected outside our solar system—though just how close it comes to being a moon is a question researchers are still grappling with. Although more than 6,000 exoplanets have been discovered to date, there’s been a lack of definitive evidence of moons in other planetary systems. The new findings challenge that by focusing on an object orbiting the brown dwarf CD-35 2722 B in a system 73 light-years away.

Note: Here is the podcast version of this post.

Space Stories: English Observatory Closing, an Early Warning System for Astronomers, and Accessing Europa’s Ocean

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, England. (Jodrell Bank)

Here are some recent space-related stories of interest.

—The Guardian: “Jodrell Bank Observatory Facing Closure After Major Funder Cuts Support“

Jodrell Bank Observatory, the hub of a world-leading network of radio telescopes, is facing closure after government funding for the facility was slashed. Scientists say decision is blow to UK astronomy as deep space observatory is home to world-leading facilities. The deep space observatory includes the Grade I-listed Lovell telescope and is prized by astronomers who study galaxies, black holes, star formation, planets beyond the solar system and the afterglow of the big bang.

—ZME Science: “Astronomers Are Building an ‘Artificial Retina’ to Protect Telescope Images From Satellites“

A telescope can spend hours collecting the faint light of a distant galaxy. A fast-moving satellite needs only a few seconds to cross its field of view, leaving a bright streak that contaminates (and sometimes ruins) the long exposure. As the number of satellites around Earth grows, astronomers increasingly need ways to predict and avoid these crossings. Researchers at the University of Warwick are now developing an early-warning system that could spot an approaching satellite and alert a telescope before it enters the image.

—Rutgers: “Why Europa’s Hidden Ocean May Be More Difficult to Reach Than Scientists Thought“

Europa, one of Jupiter’s icy moons, long has fascinated scientists because of what may lie beneath its frozen shell: a global ocean of liquid water. That hidden ocean has made Europa one of the most compelling places in the solar system to study the conditions that might support life. But new research led by Rutgers scientist Lujendra Ojha suggests one of the most promising shortcuts to Europa’s ocean may be far more complicated than previously thought.

Note: Here is the podcast version of this post.

Space Stories: Too Much Satellite Sunlight, Sugar and Spice in Space, and Super Black Satellite Paint

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Pixabay

Here are some recent space-related stories of interest.

—Universe Space Tech: “The Earendil-1 Satellite, Equipped with its Large Mirror, Has Caused Discontent Among Astronomers“

The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted approval to Reflect Orbital to proceed with testing its innovative Earendil-1 satellite. This spacecraft features a substantial mirror engineered to redirect sunlight towards the nighttime side of Earth. The primary objective of the startup is to augment energy supply to solar power facilities and illuminate extensive regions up to 5 kilometers in width. By the year 2035, the company intends to deploy a constellation comprising 50,000 such orbital reflectors. Notwithstanding the potential advantages for agriculture and emergency services, the initiative has elicited grave concerns within the community.

—CBS News: “Astronomers Discover Sugar in Space That’s Also Found in Raspberries: ‘Just Floating Out in the Galaxy‘”

The space between stars just got a little sweeter. Astronomers have detected a type of sugar in space that’s also found in raspberries and self-tanners. The sugar, called erythrulose, lurks in what’s called the interstellar medium: thin clouds of gas and dust littered between stars. Sugar does more than sweeten tea and powder doughnuts. Different varieties fuel our cells and even make up DNA. Scientists are itching to know how sugars form because they’re a key ingredient for life as we know it.

—Science Alert: “Vantablack: World’s Blackest Paint Could Solve A Major Problem For Astronomy“

Low Earth orbit is becoming increasingly crowded with satellites, and they’re quietly erasing our view of the Universe…Chaturvedi and a team of researchers in the UK think they might have the answer: Vantablack 310, a specific formulation of one of the blackest materials ever developed, intended for use on spacecraft. In lab tests, coating satellites with Vantablack 310 meant that only 2 percent of incoming light was reflected.

Note: Here is the podcast version of this post.

Space Stories: Starliner Beats SpaceX on Costs, NASA Administrator Ignores Regulators, and Blue Origin Rebuilding Beyond Impressive

Posted on by onespaceman2000

Here are some recent NASA-related stories of interest.

—Florida Sentinel: “Boeing Starliner Costly But Cheaper for NASA Than SpaceX Switch, Audit Says“

Boeing’ Starliner costs and delays remain the target of the latest audit from NASA’s Office of the Inspector General, but remains a cheaper option for the agency than relying solely on SpaceX for its commercial crew needs. The audit releasedJune 30 dinged the beleaguered spacecraft’s tumultuous and still uncertain path toward certification and wars that the timetable for its use to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station is running short.

—Newser: “NASA Chief Defies FAA With ‘High-Risk’ Flight“

NASA chief Jared Isaacman took to the skies over Washington in a vintage fighter jet on July 4, even after federal regulators flagged the plan as too risky. The Federal Aviation Administration rejected a request on June 30 to let four 1970s-era Northrop F-5 Tiger II jets participate in the National Mall flyover for America’s 250th birthday, calling the aircraft “very high-risk” and citing concerns about flight controls, ejection scenarios, and past crashes, the Wall Street Journal reports.

—Benzinga: “NASA’s Jared Isaacman Says Blue Origin’s New Glenn Recovery Is ‘Beyond Impressive’“

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Blue Origin has devoted significant resources to cleaning up and rebuilding its launch pad after a late-May explosion of a New Glenn rocket, as the agency weighs how the setback could affect lunar missions tied to the Artemis program. “Blue Origin’s response to the situation is almost beyond impressive, and that’s not just a NASA assessment,” Isaacman told reporters Wednesday afternoon, according to Ars Technica. He said U.S. Space Force officials also have been deeply involved in Blue Origin’s planning since the May 28 test anomaly damaged New Glenn’s only operational launch pad.

Note: Here is the podcast version of this post.